Image -- Part Four

In previous issues, I introduced the topic of table image. I discussed what an image is, the most important images to be aware of, and how to artificially create a loose, wild image. First, a brief recapitulation of what image is and why it is important. Your table image controls what your opponents think about you. What your opponents think about you has a strong influence on how they will play against you.

From a passive point of view, you want to be aware of your table image at all times. This awareness will enable you to play correctly when your opponents make a play based on what they perceive to be your style, and they determine this by what they think your image is. In the previous column I mentioned that there are four important images: loose, tight, pushover and tough defender. Your image is passively created by the hands you play that your opponents see. You can actively create your image by emphasizing certain aspects of your play and making comments that reinforce those aspects.

Now let’s continue the discussion of how you can actively create a misleading image. In the last column we looked at ways to create a loose, wild image, which will make the others players perceive you as being loose. They will call or even raise your good hands more often. You can make more value bets, and expect to be called quite frequently. When you have a wild image, your good hands will be more profitable, since your opponents won’t be afraid to call.

In this column we will discuss the opposite image – a tight, conservative image. A player who is truly tight, plays very few hands. Sometimes they even play fewer hands then they should. When a tight player puts a lot of money in the pot, he has a real hand. They seldom three-bet with air. They don’t float (call with nothing on the flop with the intention of stealing later). They don’t bluff very often. Even their semi-bluffs on the flop tend to be solid hands. They might raise with the nut-flush draw and two overcards. Why would you want a tight image?

In general, it is better to have a loose image than to have a tight one. A wild image will make more money. Unfortunately, there are times when your cards and the players at your table force you to play very few hands. You will be starting to develop a tight image. Rather than fight this image that is being naturally created, accept it. Work to strengthen it. Then use it to your advantage. With a tight image, you can steal more pots. Your bluffs and semi-bluffs will be much more successful. In the middle stages of tournaments, when blinds and antes become large relative to stack sizes, a tight image may enable you to accumulate chips. It will also reduce your variance. You will be playing fewer hands, but winning a higher percentage of them.

As with a wild image, you should try to enhance your image in ways that don’t cost you anything. Imitate the behavior of tight players. Stack your chips neatly and carefully. Try to make statements that show your conservative nature. When trying to create a wild image, you might talk about how much money you wager at craps or bet on football. When trying to create a tight image, do the reverse. Comment on the stupidity of casino gambling and sports betting. Talk about how few hands you play and what high starting hand requirements you have. Discuss hands from your last session which show how tight you are. Here is one example, “It always surprises me how loose my opponents are. Last week I made a normal raise in early position, got a caller, and then the button re-raised. I moved all-in and he called with two queens. OK, with kings he might have had a tougher decision. If I don’t have aces in that spot, I’m bluffing.”

When you are in the process of creating or reinforcing a tight image, never show bluffs or marginal hands. If you have the nuts and don’t get any action, which is not unusual since they are afraid of you, complain and show your hand. One clever ploy is to show your hand only to your left hand opponent. Someone will always say, “Show one, show all.” And you will be “forced” to show everyone your hand.

Once you have created a tight image, and you can tell you opponents believe it. Bluff and semi-bluff more. (You can assume your opponents will try to bluff you more often, but I will cover that in the next column. Then I will talk about defensive and pushover images.) You should cut back on making close value bets, since your opponents will be less likely to call with marginal hands. Your opponents will be less likely to try value bets against you, since they think you generally have good hands.

There is one special situation when having a tight image may really work to your advantage. When approaching the bubble in a tournament, some players try to accumulate a lot of chips, while others become very tight trying to reach the money. Virtually all of the successful tournament players try to push these tight players around whenever they get the chance, but also to stay out of their way when they commit to the pot. If you have a tight image, convince everyone that your goal is to reach the money. Talk about how much cashing will mean to you, and how carefully you intend to play to insure that you cash. You can be assured that some of your opponents will start trying to take advantage of you. Be ready to re-raise all-in or to call down suspected bluffers. This may lead to your being knocked out short of the money on occasion, but it will more often leave you with a lot of chips when the bubble bursts. ♠

Steve “Zee” Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on Full Tilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A — Nice Guy Eddie’s at Houston and Doc Holliday’s at 9th Street — in New York City.